He also says in his letter that I am a man who is not in debt, meaning no one is asking me for anything at all, but I have some money with others. So, is it obligatory for me to write it down, knowing that...
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The questioner : He also says in his letter that I am a man who is not in debt, meaning no one is asking me for anything at all, but I have some money with others. So, is it obligatory for me to write it down, knowing that if I die, I have forgiven them, and if any of them dies, I have also forgiven him for that?
The Shaykh : We say, may Allah reward you for this high aspiration. As for the rights you are owed by people, writing them down is more appropriate and better.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because in that lies the securing of your wealth, your own affairs, and those who come after you. Then, in it lies the securing of your partner from whom you are seeking payment, for it may come to you one day that he has forgotten what is upon him and says to you, "What is it that I owe you so that I can pay it to you?" If it is not written down, you may forget it and he may forget it, and at that time, there will be difficulty in people's hearts regarding this matter. And although the door of reconciliation is wide, praise be to Allah, but what a person should do is record his wealth, just as it is obligatory for him to record what is upon him, especially if there is no proof. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, as is authentic in the hadith of Ibn 'Umar:Sunan Abi Dawud 2862Sahih (Al-Albani)
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : We say, may Allah reward you for this high aspiration. As for the rights you are owed by people, writing them down is more appropriate and better.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because in that lies the securing of your wealth, your own affairs, and those who come after you. Then, in it lies the securing of your partner from whom you are seeking payment, for it may come to you one day that he has forgotten what is upon him and says to you, "What is it that I owe you so that I can pay it to you?" If it is not written down, you may forget it and he may forget it, and at that time, there will be difficulty in people's hearts regarding this matter. And although the door of reconciliation is wide, praise be to Allah, but what a person should do is record his wealth, just as it is obligatory for him to record what is upon him, especially if there is no proof. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, as is authentic in the hadith of Ibn 'Umar:
It is the duty of a Muslim man who has something which is to be given as bequest not to have it for two nights without having his will written regarding it.
ما حق امرئ مسلم له شيء يوصي فيه يبيت ليلتين إلا ووصيته مكتوبة عندهThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.